ChronWatch: SF Transbay Terminal escalators finally fixed

Published Tuesday, August 23, 2005, in the San Francisco Chronicle ChronicleWatch Results: 716 Working for a better Bay Area By Suzanne Pullen Escalators

Message 1 of 1
, Aug 24 1:01 PM

0 Attachment

Published Tuesday, August 23, 2005, in the San Francisco Chronicle

ChronicleWatch Results: 716
Working for a better Bay Area

By Suzanne Pullen

Escalators working at Transbay Terminal: After nearly two years
on our Watch List and dozens of tipster complaints, the Transbay
Terminal's escalators are finally working again. ChronicleWatch
began reporting on chronic problems with the escalators in 2003,
after tipsters complained that all four were broken.

After our calls, Caltrans -- which maintains the station -- tried
several patchwork repairs, but spokeswoman Gidget Navarro said one
pair of escalators is more than 70 years old and wasn't designed to
handle the amount of traffic the terminal receives.

The station at Mission and Second streets serves riders of Muni, AC
Transit, Golden Gate Transit, SamTrans and Greyhound. Initially,
Caltrans was reluctant to do major repairs, since the building will
eventually be turned over to the city and replaced by a new one.

But after repeated efforts to fix the escalators failed, Caltrans
drummed up $595,000 to refurbish them and began work in June 2004.
By September, one pair of escalators was working, but the rest of
the job was delayed while parts were manufactured in Germany. All
four escalators were finally working in July, and a state inspection
was done earlier this month.

"I am pleased to see the escalators are now operating," said
Berkeley tipster Arnold Kessler. "But it's ridiculous that it has
taken over three years for Caltrans to bring them into a state of
repair. Thanks to The Chronicle for paying attention to this story."